Schedule AppointmentNovember is National TMJ Awareness Month
Did you know that it’s National TMJ Awareness Month? We want to make sure you are informed about TMJ syndrome and how to prevent potential future pain. Contact our dentist near Chicago if you have consistent jaw pain and we will make sure to properly diagnosis and treat you.
What To Know
TMJ stands for the Temporomandibular Joint and it connects your jawbone to your skull. There’s no medical test to diagnose for TMJ syndrome, so it’s important that once you feel pain in your jaw, you visit your dentist.
Symptoms
There are many symptoms to look out for when figuring out if you have TMJ syndrome. Some, but not all, of the pain points to consider are:
- Pain in your jaw joint
- Pain in or around your ears, or a popping sound
- A clicking noise in your jaw
- Consistent headaches
- Stiff or sore jaw muscles
- Lock-jaw
- Pain in or around your temples, face, or cheeks
Treatments
There are both at-home treatments as well as prescribed remedies from your doctor that you can do in order to diminish your TMJ pain. At home, you should be icing your pain points. You can also take over-the-counter anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil and Motrin. Massage your jaw and neck muscles daily and consider eating soft foods.
If you still find yourself in pain after trying some at-home remedies, contact us and we may recommend more rigorous treatments. Some options include prescription-strength pain medicine, a dental splint or night guard. The night guard can help keep you from grinding your teeth at night, but the splint is something you wear during the day.
Reach Out
Contact us today if you are experiencing TMJ pain and our dentist near Chicago will be sure to get a treatment plan started for you.
